St. John the Baptist Anglican Church - Duncan St. John the Baptist Anglican Church - Duncan
St. John the Baptist Anglican Church - Duncan is live
Lent 4 2023 Abrgd
Guest Speaker
Sunday, March 19, 2023
Scripture
Playlist

As we gather, we recognize that we live, work, pray, and play
in the unceded traditional lands
of the Cowichan Tribes and Coast Salish People. 
We continue to commit ourselves
to the work of reconciliation and relationship-building
with our First Nations neighbours.     

 

Call to Worship:  

 

 I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
those who follow me will have the light of life.

John 8. 12

O Come, Let Us Worship 

Gathering
In this time and place we gather on the ancestral lands of Kwakwake’wakw, Nuu-chah-nulth,
Coast Salish peoples, and the Cowichan Tribes.
From many places and peoples we come to this house in prayer.
In this time and place we are not alone for we meet in the presence of the living God.
For we meet in the presence of the living God.  
In this time and place we are not alone for the Risen Jesus stands in our midst.
The Risen Jesus stands in our midst.
In this time and space we are not alone for the wind of the Spirit moves in and through us.
The wind of the Spirit moves in and through us. 
In this time and in this space we are not alone for we gather with the whole company of heaven;        In this time and in this space heaven and earth are one. 
In this time and in this space heaven and earth are one.
In this time and place Together, one people in Jesus Christ.
In the name of God, Creator, Saviour, and Holy Spirit.  Amen.                                                   

Collect of the Day

Almighty God,
Through the waters of baptism
Your Son has made us children of light.
May we ever walk in his light
And show forth your glory in the world;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.  Amen.
 

The Proclamation of the Gospel:

John 9. 1-41

Sermon:  The Ven.  Brian Evans

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of
our hearts be ever acceptable to you, O Lord.  Amen.

      'Questions’      

 We all live with questions.

Raising children you quickly learn about questions. Some are easy to answer, and well-others, not so easy.          

Some may become as frustrating as this recorded incident. Not every question leads to greater knowledge. Some questions just lead to frustration.

Back in May, 2021, there was an amazing story of a man who hijacked an elementary school bus in South Carolina and took the bus driver, a bus monitor, and 18 school children hostage.

This sounds like a frightening, even tragic, story.
But I call it an amazing story because the kidnapper gave up and released all the hostages after just 6 minutes.

What caused him to give up on his crime?

He got tired of the children asking him questions.

In an interview, the bus driver, Kenneth Corbin, said that as soon as the man got on the bus, the frightened children began asking him questions.

First, the students asked him if he was a soldier.
The man said, “Yes.”
Then, “they asked him, ‘Why are you doing this?’
He never did have an answer for this one.
They asked, was he going to hurt them?
He said ‘No.’
They asked, ‘Are you going to hurt our bus driver?’
He said, ‘No. I’m going to put you off the bus.’”

Corbin recalled. “He sensed more questions coming, and I guess something clicked in his mind, and he said, ‘Enough is enough already,’ and he told me to ‘Stop the bus, and just get off.’”

It was at this point that the hijacker herded the adults and children off the bus.

They were all unharmed.
He took off with the bus, but was later arrested.

Isn’t that amazing?

An armed man, attempting to hijack a school bus, was so frustrated by the children’s questions that he set his hostages free after just 6 minutes.

Some of you who are parents of small children understand this completely.          

Asking the right questions is important.

Today’s readings are full of questions.          

It is reported, Jesus asked 307 questions in the 4 gospels alone.

Added to this, there are any number of questions throughout the scriptures. Some are answered and some are left unanswered.          

In the Samuel lesson this morning, there are 4 questions.

Those 4 questions are about having faith, in an indirect way.

The one, whom the family put the least amount of faith in, is the one chosen by God – David.

Imagine, the older son who, by the account in the writings, is of course the most beautiful, tallest. I am sure must have had blue eyes, and a good swatch of hair, as well.          

What does God say to Samuel?

Do not look at his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.          

Among the 15 questions in the Gospel reading for today, 2 are exceptionally significant.

The first comes as Jesus and disciples are leaving the temple.

We read:

As they went along, he saw a blind man from birth.
He disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?
         

Imagine the answer Jesus gave, and how it would have been received in the community/society.

The community, in that time, equated God’s blessings with health, wealth and security.

Jesus answer:

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.”          

Have times changed, really?          

We do the same thing to this day, don’t we.          

In the 60’s, when President John F. Kennedy coined this statement: Think not what your country can do for you, rather what can you do for your country.          

What happens in this incident, is the wrong question is being asked.

The disciples ask, “What separates us from God?”

The more correct question would be: “what can restore us to God?”          

What can restore us to God?

Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, we experience what restores us to God.          

For myself, the significant message in this gospel reading comes in the form a very short sermon:

That was why his parents said,

“He is of age; ask him.”
A second time they summoned the man who had been blind.
“Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”
He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know.

One thing I do know. I was blind, but now I see!”

Then they asked him, “What did he do to you?
How did he open your eyes?”

He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen.
Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?”

(There’s a moment, here.)

Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple!
We are disciples of Moses!
We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”

The man answered, “Now that is remarkable!
You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.
We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.
Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind.

If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”            

Now comes the second question.  

Jesus asks:

“Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
“Do you believe in the Son of Man?”        

Naturally, the man asks: “and who is he sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.”          

Jesus says: “You have seen him, and the one speaking to you is he.”            

I began today saying, we all live with questions.          

We all live with questions about God. Yes, ALL; for I find, even the one who may profess not to believe, still has questions about God.          

Our received answers, will-in some situations- draw us closer to God, and some further away.           The season of Lent is a great time for questions. Possibly the greatest opportunity we have to ask questions.          

Remember, this is the message which comes immediately following John 3:16.  

John 3:17 says,

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”  

In this passage of Scripture, Jesus is telling us that the Father sent Him into the world to save the people of the world — not to condemn them.  

Thanks be to God.  Amen. 


Let Us Pray

Sustained by God’s abundant mercy, let us pray for the church,
the world, and all of creation. 

Eternal God,
you seal us by the Holy Spirit and mark us
with the cross of Christ forever in baptism.
Inspire us by your love as, together,
we strive for justice and peace in all the earth. 

Merciful God,
Receive our prayer. 

Creating God,
by your word you have made all things,
and you hate nothing you have made.
Teach us to perceive the beauty of the breadth
of your creation, from the grandest mountain range to
the smallest springtime bud. 

Merciful God,
Receive our prayer.

Powerful God,
you anoint kings and establish rulers.
Guide the work of heads of provinces,  and elected officials
in all levels of our governments.
Encourage them to lead with justice and
to remove barriers that impede the well-being of all. 

Merciful God,
Receive our prayer.

Shepherding God,
you lead us beside still waters, and restore our souls.
Keep watch over those who weep;
tend to all who are sick, and comfort those who grieve.  

We continue to pray for those in need, particularly in our parish:
Barb, in the loss of her brother; the Snideman Family, in the loss of David; 
Peter; Roy & Gail; Les; Daryl & Sue; Roy; John; Gary & Sarah; Sheila;
Carolyn; and those on our hearts. 

Merciful God,
Receive our prayer.

God our host,
you fill us at your table with more than we could ever ask.
Feed us with hunger for justice.
Equip the feeding ministries of this congregation, and community.
Nourish us so we can nourish our neighbours.  

Merciful God,
Receive our prayer.

God of history,
with thanksgiving, we remember our ancestors in faith
who cared for your people.
We praise you for the ways they formed the faith of others,
and continue to inspire us.  

Merciful God,
Receive our prayer.

We lift our prayers to you, O God,
trusting in your steadfast love, and your promise
to renew your whole creation;
through Jesus Christ, our Saviour.     Amen.
 

As our Saviour taught us:
Our Father,
who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as in heaven. 
Give us today our daily bread. 
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive
those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us fom evil.
 
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power and the glory,
forever and ever.  Amen.

The Blessing
The Peace of God, that passes all understanding,
keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge
and love of God, and of his son, Jesus Christ our Lord:
And the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
be with you and remain with you always.  Amen.


Through the goodness of God,
we have received the blessing of Christ ,
In Word and as we receive the Sacraments of the church.

So, in thanksgiving for those gifts,
May we always have faith
in J
esus Christ, the Lord.  Amen.